The first reserve
by CuckooWolfie188188
Summary: The epic reserve series starts here.The untold story of the last of the people who could stand in for the five. Rated-T for moderate violence and injury. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**OBLIVION FAN FICTION PART 1**

The remaining radiation had not cleared. The stagnant water of the Thames Delta trickled back into the main river.

The main sound in the city was the wind sweeping around the skyscrapers and through the iconic streets of this once great city.

The old ones had gripped this city, and they started to use this as their Europe base. Fire riders and shape changers patrolled the streets, killing those who had survived the blast. And flies hung in the sky like huge black blimps, keeping watch over the dead metropolis.

Every now and then a scream was heard, or the spluttering of a person dying from one of the illnesses that gripped London.

Only one tiny clan of fifteen people had managed to forge a living here. They called themselves the survivors.

The survivors had almost escaped London. The group were making their way to Dover. Away from the ruined city and to a place, were it was believed some sain humanity still existed.

They were lead by Saskia Cunningham. A tall fifteen year old with long dark hair, a crooked nose that looked like it had been broken several times and intelligent, iridescent green eyes. She was often compared to a Gatekeeper even though she was not one of the five.

She had been trapped in the destroyed city on the ninth of May on a school trip to the Churchill Bunkers. She had stayed in the bunker to take extra notes on the strategic boards when the bomb hit.

Despite the fact that the defences had been deemed useless years before her visit,

Everyone in the bunker survived unchanged. The rest of her class who left the bunker were struck down like targets in a shooting rally, but those in her company were not even struck down by the super virus that followed.

It took them until December to escape London. By this time, the population of the survivors had decreased from nine adults and six adolescents to nine adults and three teenagers. Women fared better than the men in these statistics.

They had spent the past few months on the run, knowing they had to get to Antarctica. Life had been hard but they had survived, fuelled by the knowledge that outside of London there was a better Britain.

They now sat around a small fire, begging it to give up the heat it held. Each one of them was shivering violently. Still in the clothes they were wearing on the day of the blast.

Three of the survivors wore the uniform for the Churchill Bunkers tours, the three adults and teen wore midsummer casual, whist Saskia was still in the tracksuit she wore on the ill fated trip.

"I'm sleepin'" one of the group moaned lying down by the fire.

"G'night Mytch" The rest of the group whispered before they all joined him.

Saskia did not though. She sat there staring into the flames and thinking.

She was from Thirsk in North Yorkshire. She had attended a private school near Topcliffe and spent her weekends fencing, shooting, hunting and doing extreme sports. Her exam results were good, she was in several sports teams and she got on well with the rest of the school. Form a young age she had been getting along with the older girls, when she was extremely young they were just taking her under their wing. Comforting her as she had never known her parents. She was on e-mail terms with her uncle in York (who had disappeared when she was five) but she boarded at school, and in the holidays she lived with her outdoor education teacher and fencing coach.

As she grew older, she had always known she was different. At first the powers just flickered about once a week. To start with the teachers had little patience, and Saskia constantly found herself in detention for a whole manner of trivial accidents such as someone's exam paper setting on fire. Roars of "CUNNINGHAM!" could often be heard around the school.

When she was thirteen, she learnt how to control her abilities. She used them mainly to entertain the younger girls but occasionally she had to use it for more serious things.

She realised she could move objects with her mind, see the future, read other people's minds and control their actions. The whole school knew about her and kept it a secret, as either the circus of government would want to exploit her.

Her class had gone down to London to take part in a hockey tournament. A couple of the teachers had decided to come to use the tourist attractions of the city to aid the class in their upcoming GCSE exams. They had gon to the science, natural history and British museums. The Olympic park (as the majority of the class aspired to represent their nation in future games), and the Churchill Bunkers below parliament.

When the teacher decided that they should go. Saskia asked to finish notes on the bunkers. The last girl to leave closed the door and then – the bomb was detonated.

Saskia did not know if any of her class survived the radiation. But all she knew that it was her fault they were dead. If she had not only thought about getting ten A*s she could have saved all of them. She knew the bomb would fall; she had a chance to save them. But she let them die.

Saskia slapped herself hard in the face. Trying to eliminate the memories. She opened out her rucksack and took out one of the sleeping pills she had for the match. She snapped it in half and swallowed each half of the tablet. Allowing the chemicals to take her consciousness and send her to join the others.

The pills did not stop the dreams. _First came the dream of the tournament. The look on her team's faces when she (the captain) was given the shield. Then that faded into them at the Olympic park. Nostalgically staring at the buildings that were the shadows of a past year. Then the science and natural history museum, marvelling at preserved organs and animals. Next came seeing turquoise sacrifice masks and the Rosetta stone._

_And finally, the bunkers. That image quickly faded and was replaced with the mushroom cloud. Then the cloud solidified and became a pillar of rock, jutting out of a turbulent ocean. Saskia performed a panoramic inspection of the area. At first she saw nothing. Then she noticed five other pillars, each with a figure standing on it._

_Then it dawned on her. Those were the five. _

_Each of the pillars started to glide to each other. The pillars slowly becoming made of ice not stone, each at a different pace._

_Then it hit her. The pillars were travelling south, to Antarctica and the central hub of what had gone wrong with the world._

Unknown to Saskia. She must have been yelling in her sleep as she found herself being roughly shaken awake by Sandra and Joseph.

"Wha' do you thin' you were doin'?" Sandra hissed spitting at Saskia who had just clocked that she was awake.

"The five" Saskia stammered. All composure lost "Antarctica, BOMB!"

Everyone stared around camp, baffled.

Saskia did have one friend who had survived. Her social worker, psychologist, sports psychologist and lifelong companion. Marthe Shutt, who was shuffling towards her at this moment.

Marthe appointed herself as the hockey team's sports psychologist when she heard that Saskia knew that the group would die and Saskia was considering running away over the matter.

"Saxa" She began cautiously, knowing at the state Saskia was in she would probably lash out with her six inch long machete that she always kept at her waist for emergencies. All knife laws had been dropped as the majority of the population kept them for self defence. And Saskia's foster mother had taught her self-defence so Saskia was a bit slash happy.

Marthe heard a whisper from the other side of camp.

"Reasoning'll never work" It came. "Electroshock therapy and a straightjacket is what that freak of nature needs."

Marthe recognised the voice of Mytchell Collins. A rude cockney that disliked Saskia's regime fully.

She paced over to Mytchell, pulled him up to face her and swore hard at him.

"Look Mytch" She spat at him "Have you spent eight years studying the brain and law?" She smirked.

Mytchell pulled back his lips in a jeering grin. "Have you ever thought of being quiet Miss Shut up?" He retorted.

Marthe's instincts sere all screaming at her to shoot Mytchell. But she left her gun at her waist.

She could hear Saskia's breathing becoming rasping and raw. She managed to slip some words out.

"The match, pickled human tonsils. BOMB! Five pillars, moving together. Turning white" Saskia stammered.

"Yes" Marthe urged "Was anything on the pillars?"

Saskia started to nod so frantically that Marthe had to stop her damaging her brain. "The five" Saskia breathed.

The last sentence echoed around camp. Almost as if someone had said the word "Terrorist!" on a New York subway the day after 9/11.

The last teenage member of the survivors stumbled up "You saw the five?" She stammered.

"I doubt Saxa would be lying in this situation Kylie!" Marthe snapped.

Kylie flinched and moved away.

"Try and get some rest" Marthe ordered "It's three hours until sunrise and we all need as much rest as we can."

The dreams returned for Saskia. Only this time she could see their faces.

A tall dark haired European, an Asian, two twins that looked like something from an old western film. And a small South American.

Four boys and a girl, the legends (if you can call them that) were true.

The image of one of the twins invaded Saskia's mind. She tried to shake it out of her head, but failed.

"_Come to the centre of the city Saskia." He said. "There is a door in a church that'll take you directly to Antarctica." _

_Saskia sent an image of herself. "You can't get there. It's a trap."_

"_How do you know?" Came the reply._

"_Let's just say you brother is not so good at blocking people out of his head as he thinks he is." Saskia sent._

_The boy turned and thought hard. Could he trust this girl? If she could reach his brother could he._

"_He's with them isn't he?" He said. "Scott has gon over to the old ones."_

_Saskia nodded "Anyway. We only have enough food to last us 'till Dover. We'll not be able to make it."_

_The two of them stared each other in the face, trying to see if one or the other was lying. _

"_WAKE UP SASKIA, they need you!" The boy shouted before he and the rest of the five faded._

_Saskia scanned the horizons for the five before she found herself being lifted form unconsciousness into reality._

The relative calm of camp was transformed into a raging hell in a few short moments.

Unknown to the group. They had been followed by a small band of three mutants. All firing wildly around them.

Saskia leapt up and ran behind billboard advertising puma sports equipment. Not that anyone would have purchased it, or they had any money left.

"I thought you would never wake up" Marthe panted before taking a shot at the mutants. She hit the adult male in the leg causing him to fire wildly around.

Saskia grabbed Marthe by the sleeve and dragged her down.

"I've got an idea!" Saskia panted.

"Well spit it out then" Marthe hissed as she took another shot.

"No. It's too risky!" Saskia sighed undoing the safety catch on the gun.

"More risky than runnin' through a radioactive city" Sandra butted in. Before the explosion. Sandra had been the biggest gossip in the East end.

Saskia gave herself a nervous grin and turned to Marthe.

"You run and distract them. I'll shoot!" Saskia ordered and Marthe gave a small salute before dashing across the ruined street and letting out a bird call.

The teenage mutant turned its head towards Marthe and fired.

Nothing came out. Confused, the mutant retried with the gun. Still nothing.

Behind the billboard, Saskia was readying herself for what she was about to do.

She told herself repeatedly that the mutant was as good as dead already. And that she was doing it a favour.

Then, Saskia closed her eyes, inhaled, stood up and fired.

The bullet hit the mutant in the back of the head, killing it instantly.

This was the last straw for the mutants. They fired around at anything that moved in a vain attempt to kill.

A bullet ripped through the billboard close to Saskia's head. Desperate to avoid being hit, she scrambled lower. Eventually flattening herself out below the curb.

Then, as if she meant to commit suicide. Saskia leapt up and yelled a single word. "Stop!"

The mutants stopped and turned. Gaping mouths drooling a strange amber liquid, unable to move.

Sandra glanced up at Saskia. "Wha' you doin'?! She roared.

"Taking control" Saskia replied. Tightening her hand in a fist. At the same time, the head of the taller mutant crumpled up. Shards of bone punched through its head, showering the road with discoloured blood.

The mutant fell onto the cracked tarmac. The other mutant turned to run but was shot down by Marthe.

"They're dead!" called Kylie. After that the rest of the group stood up and surveyed the street.

"All here?" Joseph asked.

"Nah, Mytch got shot" Said Marthe pointing behind a fallen telegram pole. The survivors padded over and stared at Mytchell, who was lying there with a bullet wound through his neck.

He spluttered some blood and shook his head violently. Staring at the survivors with sightless eyes.

"You" He gasped raising a shaking finger to point at Saskia who flinched.

"Mind we take your rations?" Sneered Jason fingering his gun, he then winced as Saskia kicked him between the legs

Before Mytchell could refuse Jason lifted his gun, aimed it at Mytchell's head and fired.

After Mytchell slumped down, dead. The survivors fell onto Mytchell ripping into his bag, grabbing strips of dried beef or tins of dried fruit. And (all though they would not be able to use it) his last pounds.

When they had finished they grinned at each other, secretly glad he was dead.

"Saxa" Jason said.

Saskia twitched acknowledging Jason.

"Why did you kick me?"

Saskia chuckled quietly.

"You deserved it!"

"WHAT THE!"

Saskia let go of her sanity and laughed like a banshee.

"Guys!" Murmured Kylie surveying the horizons then glaring daggers at Saskia. "I think they might have brought some friends with them!"

Saskia whipped round to see a large black cloud, bobbing up and down like a Bessemer.

The blood drained from her face and she gulped hard. Saskia had heard about these swarms. They could form solid structures that could kill. As soon as you would shoot them they would space out and dodge the bullet before reforming and killing you.

Kylie suppressed a squeak and Joseph swore hard.

All reason and calmness gon. The survivors turned and fled.

The hot sharp wind stung their faces and mouths. Beams of steel acted as death traps littering the streets. Electricity pylons threatened to decapitate you as you sprinted through the city. Then the air turned cold and they let out a shriek of delight. They had exited ground zero.

"GET IN!" Marthe yelled pointing to a large glass and concrete airport building. At first the survivors thought she was just happy but then they followed her finger and ran inside.

The air smelled of disinfectant and sweat mixed together to create an overpowering stench.

"Nice place" Marthe chuckled signalling to Sandra who whipped out her gun and surveyed the room.

"COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" Came a voice from a room labelled **BAGGAGE CONTROL**.

The group instead of raising their hands grabbed their guns and pointed them at the door. Where a band of ten people in military uniform were standing, revolvers in hand.

"Who are you?!"

"Why should we say!"

"Because we are the Nexus!"

"YEAH RIGHT!" Saskia shrieked letting out a hyena laugh.

"Why so funny?"

Saskia calmed down and looked puzzled. "You work for that Google-box thingy."

"No we do not!"

"I used to sell stuff for them!"

The woman pulled the arm of the man talking. "You're not helping!"

"BUT I DID!"

"You're fired"

"W-H-AT?!"

"You heard me!"

The man lowered his gun sadly and turned his head down.

"Saskia-"

"How do you know my name?!"

"We know lots about you, and the five."

Marthe pulled back Saskia and barged in front of her. "Hang on. What does Saxa have to do with the five?"

"Everything Miss Shutt. Yours, hers and their futures are tied together, these cannot be separated, or the world shall die."

"How?"

"Saskia. Or Theia as her true name is according to the diary of Joseph Corboda-"

"Two things. A-Isn't he mad? And, B- True name?"

"Shut up Missy!"

Marthe scowled. She had often considered changing her surname because it was cause for many "Shut" puns.

"Unknown to many so called experts on the gatekeepers. There are two, who can stand in if the past and present forms of the gatekeepers were dead. Completing the circle. This was unknown to the Old ones."

Saskia gulped. How could this be her. She had known she was different and she had wanted to save the world. But that could not be her she was hearing about. She kept listening, but wished that she had not.

"She has a world of pain coming her way Miss Shutt. One of the downsides is that the "Reserves" can feel the pain of the gatekeeper they can stand in for. And unluckily for her, one of them has more pain coming their way than even you or I can describe."

Marthe looked around to see if Saskia was listening.

"Can we go somewhere else?" She said. "I need to know more."

The woman nodded and lead Marthe through to the room labelled **BAGGAGE CONTROL**.

Saskia leaped up and scampered after them. Sandra made an attempt to grab her but Saskia shook her off and crouched down to listen at the door.

"Who are you?"

"Hannah Litherland."

"Can I call you Lizard-foot?"

"No!"

Marthe sighed. She had a very stiff tongue and as a child had had difficulty saying certain words.

"Tell me about the gatekeepers."

Hannah placed her hands in her pockets and looked down.

"Ten thousand years ago. A race of demons called the old ones came to Earth. They began to suck the life out of the world, which was how they fed."

Marthe gulped.

"Five children could stop them. Four boys and a girl. They each had a strange paranormal ability. They are now known of by the majority of the population of Earth. Yet very few people know of the two reserves. Both female. They each could stand in if one of the gatekeepers they shared an ability with could not be there. Miss Cunningham is the last of the reserves. The other one was killed last year by agents of Nightrise."

Marthe nodded her head. Both her parents had worked for Nightrise. They had been killed when they were no longer needed. They sold oil they obtained by fracking to The Nail in Hong-Kong.

"That was how the old ones found out about the reserves. You saw the flies outside? They were sent here to kill your friend."

"Query."

"What?"

"What do I have to do with this?"

"Some of the five have companions Miss Shutt."

"Call me Marthe."

"Marthe."

"Go on!"

"Well. Part of the present five's mind is still stuck ten thousand years ago. Even though they do not realise it, they find the companionship of a modern human helpful in breaching the gaps between their primeval minds and modern intellect."

Marthe cocked her head.

"Have you ever seen any primitive behaviour from Saskia?" Hannah asked.

Marthe nodded. "Now you come to think of it yes. Sometimes, I watch her go hunting or shooting with her foster mother. When hunting she seems to have aim to rival the great Olympic shooters, and hunting. Well she often suddenly stands still and sniffs the air like a wolf or bloodhound."

Hannah nodded and took a small book out of her pocket. "They tales always say that Theia was an excellent hunter, who could talk wild beasts into doing her will."

"Ok."

"And The World Army needs recruits, and Miss Cunningham's uncle has been sighted in Antarctica."

They heard a rustling from outside the door. Then it burst open and Saskia fell through it, hitting her head hard on the floor.

"What are you DOING Cunningham?!" Shrieked Hannah leaping up from the tabled, knocking over an empty cup of coffee that landed on Saskia.

"You, didn't think I'd let you and Marthe talk about me on your own?"

"Young these days. No manners!"

"Your hardly any older!"

"Ladies, calm down please!" Marthe yelled jack-knifing herself between Hannah and Saskia.

"Let me at her!" Saskia growled pulling her gun from her waist and aiming at Hannah. Marthe struck the gun from Saskia's hand and kicked it to the side of the room.

Saskia let out an avian shriek and kicked at Marthe who let go. Saskia fell to the floor and scrambled around the floor for her gun. Then bolted out of the room.

"Sorry about that!"

"No worries. The lege-"

"Stuff the legends, this is reality! And anyways, we're going. Or the Old Ones will get us."

"Miss Shutt!" Hannah jeered.

"What?"

"They, or should I say we? Already have got you!"

Marthe stared at Hannah who gave her a sickly grin. Then her head split and a grotesque beast punched through the thin membrane of the skin.

Marthe yelled out and ran for the door. She tried to open it but the bolt was drawn. She cried out and struck at the door. She tried to calm down but panicked when she felt Hannah's sticky breath down her neck.

Marthe was about to shoot the Shape changer when the door burst open. Saskia was standing there, gun in hand. She had shot the bolt.

"RUN!" She yelled and turned tail.

Saskia had always been a fast runner. It had always confused her but now she realised why. She glanced behind her to see where Marthe was. She stopped and sniffed the air. Among the overpowering scent of chlorine she could pick out the musty smell of Marthe.

Saskia continued running. She could see the terminal door and made a beeline for it. She burst through the glass as if it was made of paper and limped towards the aircraft the rest of the survivors were in.

When inside she butted Jason off one of the seats in the cockpit and stared out of the front window. Saskia searched the vicinity for the door but could not find it. She checked again but wished she had not. The door was blocked by rubble, trapping Marthe and the Old One inside.

Saskia felt a lump rise in her chest. She fought to keep in her emotions but was struggling. Sandra was also close to Marthe and said nothing.

"We're going!" Joseph snapped from the captain's seat. "No time for full checks!"

Kylie glanced at him doubtfully. "Isn't that unsafe?"

Joseph nodded and turned the plane south. Towards Antarctica, and the World army.


	2. Chapter 2

**PART 2**

Saskia's diary.

We're currently refuelling in the middle of South Africa. I've always wanted to go to Africa, but not in these circumstances, it's horrible.

I miss Marthe. She can only have been killed at Gatwick. Ah well, I've had a laugh with Kylie and Sandra's taken over from Marthe.

We've changed plane since Gatwick, and we have more passengers. We crashed in Courcheval in France. We raided the stores of furs and recruited some people. They have an airstrip there so we borrowed (Well actually stole) two planes. Joseph swore never to return to that airstrip, the runway ends in a steep drop over a cliff.

I've had more dreams over the last few days. Most of The Five are in Antarctica now. I've spoken to some of them too.

I met my past self too, Theia. She's a bit like me, just slightly crazy in comparison. We look alike as well, bet the right side of her head. She told me about the old ones, her guidance will prove useful I'm sure.

We've got ten minutes left of refuelling. I now never want to return to Africa, the place is no longer like the haven you see on television.

Jason is bullying Kylie like he'll die tomorrow.

I tried to shoot him but Sandra stopped me.

Going now will write soon, if I'm still alive.

The plane skidded to a halt on the ice, it did not take long for them to unload the furs and food.

When out of the craft they felt the sub-zero temperatures slicing into their thin synthetic clothing. The wind heavy with ice crystals cut into their faces.

"STOP!" Came a voice from a selection of tents, fuselages and warships. A group of men in thin uniforms ran out and pointed guns at the survivors.

"Speak your name and purpose!" The leader continued. He spoke with an American accent.

"Friendly welcome isn't!" Sandra jeered pulling out her own gun.

"World Army?" Saskia butted in. The men nodded and lowered their guns. "We bring recruits."

"Still" The American spat. "Why should we believe you?" He sneered.

"We bring food, furs and fuel!" Kylie piped up waving a packing of dried beef above her head. The packed barely topped Sandra's head and she gave up.

"Food?"

"Yes food!"

"What sort?"

A stocky French man barged to the front.

"Cheese, goat, wine, fruit and cow." He scrolled.

"I don't think he likes the sound of eating goat" Jason hissed and the French man kicked him and swore.

"We'll appreciate the wine, and the fur." An Australian standing beside the American stated and beckoned them in.

"If this war did not determine the future I'd make sure you regiment was wiped out!" The American hissed.

The Australian eyed the commander suspiciously and gulped. He looked out into the night towards the fortress of Oblivion. He wondered if they would ever be able to take it, make it fall.

He turned his back to the fortress and felt a rumble shoot through him. He turned to face Oblivion again and froze.

A black swarm of flies swallowed the man. He tried to cry out but the flies got in his mouth and started to nibble at his tongue. The flies cut through him as if he was made of butter and kept going until the man was nothing but a festering pile of entrails.

The morning dawned cold the following day. The sky looked like it was streaked with blood.

Richard Cole woke up with a throbbing headache. He reached to his forehead to brush the hair of his face but his hand only met skin.

He shivered. Richard never thought he would be uncomfortable in his own skin. But then again he never thought he would fight demons and become involved in this, madness.

He checked around to see if he was alone. He was. So he got up and made his way to the main tent.

The tent was looking considerably fuller than when Richard was last here. By the looks of things a batch of recruits had come in overnight.

He sat down on something soft and looked at his seat. A russet fur coat sat on his chair. He picked it up and surveyed it. It smelled of tanning products and something musty.

"Oh lucky man" A small French boy chirped "You man got coyote skin!"

Richard pushed the pelt onto the table and rubbed his hands on his jumper. "What did you get?"

"You clever English man. I got mink. Mink little warm, yeah English man. But coyote lots warm."

"You can have the coyote skin" Richard offered passing the skin to the boy who passed it back.

"Stupid English man!" The boy jeered and Richard slapped him. "Mink little warm!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Richard yelled. "When I was younger I had dogs and I can't bare the feeling of holding dog skin!"

"Ok Stupid English man" The boy said handing over the pelt.

Richard pulled the mink over him and walked to a table on the other side of the room where Cain was watching Matt and one of the new recruits having an arm wrestle.

The recruit cheered and ripped down the hood of their coat, revealing itself as female.

Matt sighed and moved a couple of plastic figures around on the board depicting a roughly drawn Minas Tirith.

"What's happening?" Richard asked staring at the board trying to make sense of it.

"Tactics planning!" Cain snapped giving the girl a mistrusting look.

"No need to give me that look!" The girl snapped and Cain. She spoke with a slightly twisted English accent and a slight rasp in her voice.

Matt raised his hands. "Calm Saxa." He said trying to replicate the visible breathing motions he had been shown in anger management classes.

Instead of the calm reaction he was hoping for. Saskia pulled back her lips and let out a sound like a cornered rattlesnake.

Richard stared at the girl with mixed feelings. From somewhere, he had seen her before, either that of he recognised her. Also he wanted to punch her , hard. For threatening Matt.

"If we could get back to the planning!" Cain groaned clicking in front of their faces. The two of them flinched and turned back to the board.

Cain tried to keep his authority over the army, but found himself being cursed from both directions. And he soon lost his head.

"WOULD YOU SHUT IT!"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Your ideas are terrible!" Saskia retorted grinning.

"Name one."

Matt gulped. "I wouldn't do that if-"

"Be quiet Freeman!" Saskia snapped. "The Super hornets."

"What about them?"

"You should bring them out last, not first!"

Cain scowled. "Why?"

Saskia chuckled "Don't you remember?"

"No."

"Ugh! If you bring the big guns out first they'll use up their ammo that could be used as back up."

Cain smiled, grabbed Saskia by the collar and pulled her down to his face. "How do you think you know more about strategy than me?"

"You're speaking to the international risk champion four years running (Lord of the rings addition)!"

Cain laughed and slapped Saskia on the back. "Good one!"

Saskia hissed, threw down the lynx fur she draped around herself and strode off doubling back to pick it back up.

She sprinted into the biplane her bed was in and sat down, thinking. No one took her seriously in Yorkshire except for Marthe, so why should it be any different here in Antarctica. Saskia reached into her back and brought out a photo. It showed her and her foster parents holding capercaillies by the legs, then a photo of her class' grinning faces, waving hockey sticks in the air.

Saskia bit her lip and smiled. Those who were not in the team must be worried sick, and her outdoor teacher as well. All Saskia could think about now was England. But she did not want that, in eight days the fate of the world could be decided. And she would fight; yes it was only the done thing to do.

Saskia put the photos back in the bag and lay back. She recited a couple of lines from the voynich manuscript, her history, their history, the history of us all. She swallowed the sleeping tablets and let them send her to sleep.

_The pillar was back, only this time Saskia was not the only occupant. A figure was sitting there arm across its stomach. The figure looked up and Saskia recognised it as Theia._

_Theia stood up and limped towards Saskia. They smiled at each other and dipped heads._

"_I see you seek advice Saxa" Purred Theia spurring nods from Saskia. "Shoot!"_

_Saskia sat down and fiddled with the zip on her coat. "Eight days 'till Chaos."_

_Theia nodded and sat beside Saskia. "Yes" She said simply. She placed both her hands behind her back revealing an ugly gash in her chest._

"_What's that?"_

"_Nothin'" Theia said quickly covering the wound. "Chaos Chaos Chaos, he thinks we only won last time 'cause of a trick"_

_Saskia leaned towards Theia, suddenly interested. "What sort of trick?"_

"_I can't really put it into words."_

"_Try me!"_

"_Ok" Theia sighed "But you will hate me for doing this!"_

_Before Saskia could say anything, Theia lunged forwards and placed her hand on Saskia's forehead; nails scraping the skin. Saskia yelled out and tried to fight back but Theia was to strong. Then her mind was filled with a white fog and she knew no more._


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

The grey pillar faded and became a cave. Saskia looked around and nearly fainted, she touched her head, it still hurt and there was blood on her hands. She stood up and surveyed the cave. There was no sign of an exit. A green light shone around the cave, highlighting the fang like stalactites and stalagmites, some met and grew to milky pillars of calcium deposit. Saskia looked behind her and saw two stones, rubbing as if they were being controlled by an external force. She grabbed the stones and placed them in her pocket. Before doing that she identified the stones. She walked back and felt a crunch behind her, and Saskia whipped around to find a pillar falling towards her. Saskia yelped and dived out of the way milliseconds before she was crushed by the pillar.

As soon as the pillar broke from its foundations it fell onto another, creating a domino effect of falling calcium.

There came a yodelling sound from the back of the cave and Saskia ran behind a fold in the cave wall.

A voice followed the yodel. "What is it Lobekk?" It groaned. Saskia recognised the voice of Theia.

She looked out from behind the pillar to see her past self bending down to stroke a flea bitten hyena with a wolf lying beside her. Theia leaped up and walked over to where Saskia was hiding; she surveyed the fold in the rock and turned away. At first Saskia wondered how Theia could not have seen her but then she remembered, she had done this before. Astral projection she thought it was called. In London, she had used it to see how her foster parents were doing, when she was in prison for a crime she did not commit, she used it to see how her school was doing. All was fine.

"There's nothing there Lobekk!" Theia laughed tickling his ears, the wolf beside her growled into the cave only to be stopped by a quick "Stop it Eirwyn!"

Theia looked out into the caves seemingly infinite depths; she unsheathed her sword and stood up. Her sensitive ears picked up the soft muffled sound of footsteps from the depths of the cave. Saskia followed the line of Theia's nose and looked out; she took the machete from her waist and stepped out of the shadows.

"Who is it?" Theia said into the cave.

"Me!" Came the reply. Saskia recognised it as Matt.

"Oh changed you name now have you?!" Theia laughed sheathing her sword and pacing into the light. Now Saskia had a chance to observe Theia. Running down one side of her face was a deep gash (it looked fresh) and there was a scar in the same place as Saskia, over the bridge of the nose. She wore a bottle green, badly woven woollen shirt down to the knees with a mail shirt over the top, the mail looked knew and she also wore deer skin breeches and gloves of brown leather.

"No" Matt replied.

"Gees, no sense of humour these days!" Theia sighed cuffing Matt playfully around the ears, he did not return the gesture. "All right!" She continued folding her arms "What is it?"

Matt started to pace the cave weaving in and out of the pillars "Chaos attacks in three days."

"What, with his zoo?!"

"Yes with his zoo. Anyway, Sapling was killed at Scathack and he's been replaced, only problem is that he has no idea what is happening.

Theia sniggered and Matt glared at her.

"It's not funny! If he gets killed, which he nearly did! You're gonna be needed."

At the mention of being needed Theia's eyes perked up. "So you came miles over here, without a horse to tell me just that. Gees no wonder you're loosin' it!"

"No. I also came here to tell you not to get yourself killed."

"Why would I do that?" Theia laughed striding over to a pillar and running a finger over it.

Matt sighed "well now you mention it-"

"What?"

"We could do with better weapons!" He added turning away.

"How many?"

"Enough for thirty legions"

Theia dropped a stone she had been carrying. "You serious?! That'll take weeks!"

"Well you'd better get moving then!" Matt snapped finally returning the cuff.

"It's impossible! It takes a day to get to the Scathack anyway!" Theia continued, getting out of control. "Besides, each legion contains about two hundred insurgents; we only have two thousand farriers-"

"We have weapons that can be mende-"

"Brilliant!" Theia squeaked rubbing her fists together "That'll better!"

"Good." Matt snapped turning away and making to exit the cave only to find one of the pillars in his way.

Saskia chucked to herself, this caused the wolf (Eirwyn) to pace over to Theia and tug at her shirt. Theia knelt down and stroked the whiskers of the pale wolf.

"What is Eirwyn?" She purred rubbing noses with the wolf

"So this is what you do all day, roll about with your dog-"

"Eirwyn is NOT a dog!" Theia snapped jumping up and pulling back into a defensive position that Saskia recognised as when a fencer was about to lunge. "She's a wolf and actually I'm normally huntin'!"

Matt sighed and turned back to face Theia "Has the way out changed?" He groaned folding his arms.

"Oh yeah, almost forgot!" Theia laughed padding towards a gap in the pillars and leaping horizontally to the left. "Cave is clever you see, she wants nobody to escape her jaws!"

Saskia snuck out from behind the outcrop and followed the two Gatekeepers, Theia was leading, sometimes waving her arms and letting out a small yelp. Matt followed suit, just walking along as if he was just walking to the shops and Saskia (who had forgotten that no one could see her) scampered behind them being careful not to trigger any of the pillars to fall over. The cave wall glittered with a dull blue and yellow rock, Saskia recognised the stone as the Blue-John. A stone indigenous to the hills of Yorkshire that was surprisingly worthless.

When outside, the sun was covered with thick grey clouds, Saskia ran and flattened herself out on a cliff with the words _'Fixed points can be rewritten'_. To her side was a selection of blue stones, each one was crisscrossed with white veins and sometimes speckled with yellow. Lapis lazuli she recognised it as, Saskia picked up the largest of the stones and placed it in her pocket. She looked over to where Saskia and Matt were standing, except now they were gone. Saskia looked over to either side of her, two horses could be seen galloping in either direction, and both horses were dapple grey stallions, possibly siblings.

Saskia stood up and made her way along a road littered with stones shaped like knuckles, a human skull rested on top of a pile of bones (human and alligator) with holes blasted in it with dust. Shivering in revulsion, Saskia continued running along the road. She stopped running quickly; although she could run for miles heat exhaustion would kill her faster than muscle wastage. A river trickled along the side of the road and Saskia knelt beside it, she sniffed the water and continued walking. About five minutes later Saskia stopped and took a sip of her water, she also ate a strip of her dried beef and continued.

Soon a figure appeared in front of Saskia, who ran faster and called out "Hi!"

The figure turned ninety degrees and stopped to allow Saskia to catch up.

The figure was female, tall and pale with long dark hair; she resembled Saskia in more ways than one. She held her stomach with both hands and had blood smeared down her arm.

"Are you ARGH?!" Saskia shrieked as the figure raised her hands allowing the stomach to fall out, revealing her spine which had many bones missing. Half of the figures head had been skinned, exposing the ragged flesh of the face. Then without warning, the figure dropped down dead, side of the skin with the flesh on facing up.

Quickly, Saskia knelt down and checked the pulse, there was none. Saskia took a moment to examine the body, nothing was of note apart from a strange tattoo on the forehead, a five pointed star in blue with two lines slicing through. Before Saskia had a chance to move away the figure's left hand shot up, grabbed Saskia's chin and pulled it towards the fleshy side of the face. "Fixed points can be rewritten!" She said. Before Saskia could say anything the figure vanished with no trace


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The road never seemed to end as Saskia stumbled along the track. Occasionally stumbling over a boulder or dried up bone. There was blood on her coat and an ugly bruise on her forehead, where the figure's tattoo was. The last night had been nearly restless, every time Saskia slept a dream of the skinned lady consumed her, each time it was more grotesque and the figure looked like her. When she woke up her coat would be covered with more blood and the bruise got blacker.

Saskia's water was almost empty and her dried beef had been stolen by a passing refugee. She was walking at a trotting pace to conserve energy, and was humming an old spiritual in a vain effort to keep her spirits up.

A hill loomed in front of her and she climbed it not seeming to care. Sweat was pouring off her in buckets and hunger was gnawing at her. Halfway up the hill, an old man came into view; he took each step as if it was the final one he would have to take in his life.

"You, girl!" He stammered pointing a skinny finger at Saskia who increased her gait a little trying to look as if she had not noticed the man. The man reached out a spindly arm and grabbed Saskia on the shoulder, spinning her round and squeezing her face as if he would crush her jaw. "Who are you?" He wheezed.

"Why should I tell you, you rotting shellfish?!" Saskia spat, hissing like a cat.

"Because if you don't little girl, I'm afraid I'll have to kill you!"

Saskia allowed herself a nervous grin "Ok, I'm Artemis Fowl!" She added, thinking triumphantly that she had confused the man.

"That's good, for a moment I thought I had not found one of the seven!" The man breathed, then he closed his eyes and stepped back. Without warning, the man's head split and the head and hind legs of a crocodile exploded from the man's seemingly fragile body.

Saskia wretched and staggered backwards, tripping over and pushing herself off the road. She fell into a small ditch and tried to stand up, only to feel the shape changer's tail smashing into her shoulder sending her flying. Her head hit a dried human skull, she tasted blood, Saskia snatched her machete from her belt and fell into an 'En garde' position, weighing up the crocodile-man. He (or rather it) was completely armour plated all over his body, except for the soft underside. Saskia decided that was the only way to kill it. While this was happening the shape changer was creeping closer to Saskia, scenting and examining her. Without warning, it lunged at Saskia's chest, missing her apart from ripping her coat on the elbow.

The shape changer slunk back onto the road to build up tension in the muscles in order to launch itself at Saskia. Saskia shuffled towards the road (It was raised off the ground) and nestled into the overhang, unsheathing her machete and trying to calm herself down. Then a thought shot into her head: crocodiles may have powerful jaws for biting, but the muscles for opening them are surprisingly weak, you can keep them closed with one loop of cello tape.

The shape changer leaped off the road and turned towards Saskia who stood up and toyed with her machete.

"Come on!" The shape changer hissed, he had twisted tortured speech and screamed on the vowels.

"Yeah, you wanna go!" Saskia taunted before attempting to jump onto the shape changer, Saskia rolled down his back and landed on leg, pulling a hamstring and yelping. She slashed the creature's Achilles tendon sending it falling forwards onto its knees.

She scrambled onto the creatures back and lodged her machete under one of the creature's scales and levered it up, the scale popped up spurring a river of blood that seemed to evaporate in the perpetual sunlight. Saskia fumbled for her pistol and pressed it against the naked flesh of the creature, and fired.

The bullet rocketed into the creature's head and penetrated the brain. Killing the creature who had probably no idea what a bullet was. Saskia kept the scale and paced off towards the top of the hill. On the other side was a camp, thirteen tents made of scraps of grey fabric. Horses were tied to stakes in the ground with roughly woven ropes of wool. The clouds remained thick and covering the sun. People walked around the tents, comparing swords or spears and muttering in low voices.

Saskia ran down the hill and into a forest nearby, another stagnant river ran through and she hid behind the bough of a withered oak. She bent down and took a strip of beef out of her bag and nibbled it tentatively, looking across the river Saskia could see Theia. Taking one of many weapons out of the leather bridle of her horse, she beckoned to an auburn haired woman who snatched up a couple of swords and followed Theia towards a burly man with short greasy hair.

"All right Theia? Hello Ayu" He acknowledged unfolding his arms and grinning at Ayu.

"Good evening Magos" Theia said passing the general one of the swords Ayu had been holding. "We have the weapons Matt requested"

"Three legions worth" Ayu added raising her eyebrows at Magos and she passed. Magos smiled and went into a nearby tent, Matt was sitting there, bent over a battle plan and making crude charcoal sketches of symbols representing legion. He looked up at Magos and sighed.

"Can't you see I'm occupied Magos?"

"Yes sir!" Magos stated, feeling slightly stupid that he was calling someone eleven years younger than him. "How's it going?" He added walking over to Matt and looking over his shoulder.

"Well, how does it look?" Snapped Matt who moved his head to one side allowing Magos to see.

"Umm, ok I-"

"What's wrong with it?"

"Well for a start you missed out two legions, then the firestorm is to far back, the map is not to scale and we're in a weak position."

Matt slammed his hands down and shoved the vellum pages to Magos who raised an eyebrow "Well if you're so clever then why don't you do it?!" Matt hissed reaching for his sword.

"The men need training."

"So? That's more my kind of thing. Logic was never my strong point, and, when have I not needed your help"

"The raid on enemy camp forty-two, but Theia did most of the co-ordinating."

"Well it's not like she's here is it? You said it yourself last week, the caves are miles away!"

Magos chuckled to himself about how he would put this to Matt "Umm well besides the point, more people have arrived"

"Who?"

"The Hill-Men"

Matt's head snapped up and he reached for his sword, which Magos was holding behind his back.

"I've got your sword" Magos laughed holding it above his head. Matt scowled and raised an eyebrow as if to say 'Give it here'. Magos lifted it higher, but he could feel his arm being forced downwards, he tried to regain control of his arm but failed. His arm lowered to chest height and Matt untied his fingers allowing the sword to fall at Magos' feet.

"They brought the weapons I trust?" Matt added trying to sound casual as he attached his sword to his belt.

"Yes but they're not happy about the fact only half of the weapons needed mending but you gave them all six-thousand!"

"And?" Matt hissed rolling up the sheet of vellum and making to leave the tent.

"Matt listen!" Magos commanded "My family are Hill-Men, you will need them in battles in the future and now they may not wish to provide assistance-"

"And you know this because?"

"Ayu told me, Theia holds a debt to you so that's why she's doing it. But she does not want to, in the last battle they fought in there were heavy casualties, they do not want to risk the destruction of their culture. There are five-thousand left including those who live outside the caves, they are getting rarer by the day and are not the meatheads people think they are-"

"They are fighting for us and that is final!"Matt spat over his shoulder and strode out of the tent and into the slightly humid night air. He walked around the tents for a while observing the battle preparations, each one of the people standing here he was proud of, they were happy (in a manner of speaking) to place their lives on the line for civilisation and humanity. It was very quiet around camp and moast people were sitting with their heads together, whispering about the coming morning and if they would survive. Whenever Matt passed them they either looked up or on occasion stood up. He could tell who did not want to be here, they looked at him as if they hated him, and would rather be dead than here.

"Oh, it's you" Came a hissing voice from behind Matt who turned around to see Ayu standing there in a hostile manner.

"Yes it's me!" Matt snapped at Ayu who smirked.

"Theia wouldn't tell you this" Ayu whispered looking to see if anyone listening "But we only came because our home was destroyed, a giant condor rested below the hills and it chose that moment to take flight. It destroyed the residential caves and all those in them, only those here have survived. If we go extinct because of your STUPID plan then I'm gonna kill you!"

Matt laughed at the last part of Ayu's statement "I can see why Magos likes you"

"What?"

"Can't you tell?"

"No!" Ayu spat through gritted teeth, though she did fiddle with her hair as she walked off into the night.


	5. Chapter 5, one year erlier

**One year earlier**

The ever persistent rain beat down on the already saturated ground, drenching the rat that was nibbling an old marrow bone on the cracked curb. There was a crunch, as the rat was trodden on by a group of skinny girls with braces of rabbits over their shoulders.

"Wha' was tha'?" One of them gasped whipping around.

"It's probably just a rat!" The other girl said following her friend's gaze. "Serves it right for breaking into our food depots!"

Her friend looked forward and nodded "I suppose you're righ' Saxa"

"I know I'm right Jenny" Saskia hissed elbowing Jenifer in the chest only to be slapped round the head by Jenifer.

To say the greeting when they returned was warm was an understatement. Eager hands made attempts to snatch a rabbit but Jenifer and Saskia lifted the braces above their heads and away from the greedy eleven year olds.

"So 'ow are you gonna do this Saxa?" Jenifer sighed dumping the rabbits on the plastic table the year fours had stolen from a skip.

"I thought I'd just stew it with the nettles Megan found" Saskia said leaning backwards and fiddling with her long black hair.

Jenifer nodded "Didn't you so that last week?"

"Yeah, what does it matter?" Saskia laughed before it was drowned out by Jenifer's growling stomach.

"They'll get bored soon Saxa!" Jenifer added.

Saskia pulled herself up and started to plait her hair over her shoulder. "If they get bored of it then tell them to find their own food!"

Jenifer grabbed Saskia and pulled her down by the hair, Jenifer was a head shorter than Saskia but she could seem larger by far. "Not all of them know how to hunt, or cook! And the majority still see rabbits and squirrels as cute fluffy things, not pests and food. Sometimes Saskia Cunningham, I find you to be the lowest form of life on this good Earth.

Saskia swore and kicked out at Jenifer who crashed into the table pulling two quails on the floor. "No Jenifer Richardson" She hissed raising her hands and placing them on Jenifer's neck "You are low, this world is no longer about looking others you don't even know or have spoken to. It is about survival, of yourself by whatever means possible. Do you know how I managed it?" She added leering over Jenifer.

"Yes" Jenifer gasped trying to move Saskia's hands from her neck with no effect "You became an assassin for Nightrise."

"You're correct Jenny" Saskia spat loosening her grip around Jenifer's neck. "There I learned, that sometimes you have to preserve your own life before that of the masses, I have been lenient so far. So before you accuse me of unfairness consider that you are still alive." Saskia continued before snatching up a brace of rabbits and ducks and storming out of the room into the corridor. Many hungry faces peered out of the rooms on either side, and people were whispering madly, as if they thought that talking about food would make it come to them.

"Hey Saxa!" Chimed up a young pretty blonde woman with freckles, who was skipping down the corridor.

"Oh, hi Djoobs!" Saskia sighed pushing past the woman and picking up pace. The woman sighed and walked in the other direction. She remembered when she had adopted Saskia bitterly. It happened just before everything went wrong, and sometimes she felt it happened because of Saskia.

"Hello Jenny!" She said grinning at the red haired girl running out of the kitchen stuffing a pistol into her belt.

"Hi Aimel!" Jenifer blurted, charging past Aimel and continuing through the corridors. Jenifer skidded around the corner and ran on, she could just see the white tail of a rabbit ahead. She picked up pace and barged through the door, adrenaline making her forget that Saskia could hear her easily. Jenifer continued running after Saskia, blood roaring in her ears and footsteps seemingly deafening her.

Saskia kept on running, she could not comprehend how she was moving but the was quite athletic for someone her age. The game over her shoulder was swinging, from side to side. The heads lolling around and claws raking at her leather coat. The sound of a police siren pierced through the air sending Saskia hiding into a nearby bush, she pulled her sleeves over her hands and buried her face onto her knees in a vain attempt not to be seen. The car screeched past spraying Saskia with cold pothole water.

Jenifer noticed the car too late, the car skidded to a halt and the occupant stormed out grapping Jenifer by the neck. She squirmed and lashed out only to be grabbed round the neck and to have a knee stuck in her back. She tried to cry out but the man's arm was cutting off her breathing.

"So" The man spat "Reserve's little helper are we?" He removed his finger from Jenifer's nose allowing her to resparate, then he blew a lungful of rancid breath down her nose. "You gonna go running to your friend now are we?" He laughed and pressed a knife up against Jenifer's neck. Jenifer stopped struggling and hung there, asphyxiation settling in. The man threw Jenifer on the ground, winding her. "You run alon' now, if you snitch you're dead meat." Jenifer was taking no second chances, she bolted down the alley to catch up with Saskia. "She's dead meat." The man spat.


End file.
